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IU School of Medicine Commencement is Saturday

May 10, 2018

More than 300 members of the IU School of Medicine Class of 2018 will officially receive their degrees during commencement ceremonies this Saturday, May 12, in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom. Commencement will take place from 9:30-11:30 am.

A total of 307 candidates will receive MD degrees. Dual degrees will be conferred to eight students: three earning MD/PhD degrees, three receiving MD/MBA degrees and two candidates earning MD/MPH degrees.

Lawrence Einhorn, MD, a titan in the field of oncology--best known for pioneering the cure for testis cancer, will deliver the keynote address. IU School of Medicine’s first faculty oncologist, Dr. Einhorn began his career in 1973 working with the late John Donohue, MD, the acknowledged leader in the surgical cure for early stage testicular cancer. Within a year of coming to the school, Dr. Einhorn began to experiment with Cisplatin, a platinum-based drug that had produced poor results when administered to treat cancer. But Dr. Einhorn remained determined that the drug held promise for his patients and tested a theory that involved combining Cisplatin with two additional drugs.

Dr. Einhorn’s new regimen ultimately established a cure for testis cancer--a disease that once claimed nearly every life it touched. The survival rate for patients skyrocketed to 95 percent--the highest cure rate of any cancer. Forty-five years later, Dr. Einhorn remains the international expert on testicular cancer, and patients seek him out from around the globe.

“Dr. Einhorn is the consummate physician,” said Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA, dean of IU School of Medicine. “His research related to testicular cancer has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men. But beyond being brilliant, his is empathetic, thoughtful and accessible, traits that endear him to his patients. The world needs more Larry Einhorns. I can’t think of a more appropriate person to address our graduates.”